Ad Management Student Takes on Washington D.C. for the Summer
How Sloane Kann turned her lifelong passion for Cystic Fibrosis advocacy into an internship
By: Riley Yearwood
Since the age of 14, Sloane Kann has attended the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s annual Teen Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in support of her sister who lives with Cystic Fibrosis. The event takes place in D.C. and allows teens and families to advocate for issues that are important to them.
CF is a genetic disease that causes the body to create thick, sticky mucus and affects almost 100,000 individuals worldwide. After the age of 18, Kann attended March on the Hill, which is the next step up from Teen Advocacy Day for adults continuing their CF advocacy.
Kann came from Ada, Michigan to Michigan State University with the hopes of pursuing her passion for event planning within in the advertising management major. During her freshman year, she pushed herself to join the professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi and the MSU Marketing Association. Combining her passions through extracurriculars inspired Kann to pursue a summer internship.
“One of my best friends from the program and I talked about the internship and how exciting it would be to make an impact on The Hill during the summer,” Kann said. “The internship is kind of like a next step when you graduate from the teen program.”
Kann returned to Capitol Hill in the summer of 2024 as a policy and advocacy intern with the CFF. The role focused on organizational tasks to prepare for Teen Advocacy Day, relaying information to participating teens and hosting pre-events with parents and teens.
“Talking about how I grew up with my sister with CF unlocked a lot of memories I had forgotten,” Kann said. “Not only did I have to recall them, but I also had to share them with a group of strangers and present to 120 people. I’d say the biggest challenge was being open and sharing my story, so others felt comfortable sharing theirs.”
In addition to the immense personal growth, Kann shared how the internship impacted her career growth.
“I want to go into event planning and with that, I am going to have to be in contact with a lot of people, stay organized, and communicate with a large group,” Kann said. “Helping plan Teen Advocacy Day provided me with so many transferrable skills for my future.”
To learn more about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Teen Advocacy Day, visit: https://www.cff.org/